We should all take steps to reduce our impact on the fishery and also to give the fish a fighting chance. To say 'I am not going to help steelhead by reducing my impact because of treaty netting' is just short sighted. This is the sort of greed shown toward steelhead that has led us into this situation. All I can say is I hope the younger generations are more forward thinking in conservation than the older generations have been.

Go ahead with the hollow rhetoric and namecalling but count me out on suggestions like banning fishing from the boat statewide.

So I'm ignorant but correct?

If the State made a statement that gill netting was the "primary reason" for the demise of native steelhead runs sportsmans groups would have a huge arrow in its quiver when they challenge the tribes. So don't say the State can't do anything. What has the State ever done?

I would be willing to let the tribes run the hatcherys if they just pulled the nets. My friend is a Cowlitz member and just drove down to pick up about 20 fish from the hatchery(coho this time). He goes about 2 times a year to get "his" fish. He tells me the food banks from Portland take the rest. No wonder the homeless flock to Portland.

So don't say the State can't do anything. What has the State ever done?

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fifafu, the state could do plenty. They have enacted some regulations geared toward run improvement, closing sections, selective gear. What have you ever done? No one is asking you to voluntarily stop doing something, this is a discussion. No one is telling you what to do.

We should all take steps to reduce our impact on the fishery and also to give the fish a fighting chance. To say 'I am not going to help steelhead by reducing my impact because of treaty netting' is just short sighted. This is the sort of greed shown toward steelhead that has led us into this situation. All I can say is I hope the younger generations are more forward thinking in conservation than the older generations have been.

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iagree I'll leave my usual response to old timers telling stories about the good ol' days because it'll just add more shit to this steaming pile waiting to get flushed.

Back to the OPs suggestion. I'm going to have to disagree with that idea. I don't really use boats when fishing from rivers. I do have one, but I'm just to damn lazy to hook it up to the truck, luanch it and load it back onto the trailer and then unhook at the end of the day. I don't think that a total ban on all rivers is really that reasonable, it is sorta like a one shoe fits all thing in my opinion. I can see where on some rivers, or sections of certain rivers it could be wise and benificial, but not a total ban on all rivers. I think in actuallity it might cause more dammage do to more people trying to get shore access.

As far as the banning wading thing...ha fat chance. That law would get me arrested because the first time some lawman told me to get out of the river, or tried to fine me would result in me telling them where they could stick that nice shiny badge of theirs.

What have I ever done? I fish by the rules and buy a license. I respect the river and the fish. I fish that's what I've done.

Can you say the same for a gillnet?

Hey mumbles you said "No one is asking you to voluntarily stop doing something" but this thread is about "banning steelheading from a boat" to save released wild fish. Try to keep up okay?

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fifafu, the OP posted a subject about "banning steelheading from a boat". He did not post that banning steelheading from a boat has been passed, enacted, or even under discussion at the regulatory level necessary that such a ban would require. Please do try to keep up. Furthermore, the OP did not ask if you fish by the rules. He did not ask if you buy a license. He did not ask you if you respected the river, or the fish for that matter. He also did not start a thread on gillnets. You injected each and every one of those yourself and as such you've not provided any thought for or against the subject of "banning steelheading from a boat". What you've offered is your emotional and philosophical objections to gillnetting. Start a thread about gillnetting and some will come there (I for one) and say that we think that gillnetting is bad, so bad that we can't fathom how anyone would consider it acceptable. Until you get that thread rolling, I'm inclined to disgard your "damn the gillnetting" injects and seek out the response of those that think "banning steelheading from a boat" is a good/bad idea beacuse of {fill in the blanks with their views...not rants about gillnetting}. Again, please do try to keep up.

Although I am not sure that I think any such ban will make any noticable beneficial impact to the steelheading population I would follow that ban if it came along. As for other types of bans such as bait (favor that ban) and wading (don't see that one getting much leverage) they are interesting, but off topic.

My take is if you are going to "fly fish" for steelhead then learn to swing your fly and do it the right way. With all the nymphing going on these days, its no wonder we are seeing more fish floating belly up on the Ronde, Methow, Wenatchee etc.. If you are nymphing for steelhead you might as well just get the gear rod out and use the fly rod for another day. 10 fish on a nymph still doesn't equal 1 great wild fish taken on a swung fly. Just my take. Too many people trying to maximize the fish count instead of the true experience.

5 pages of BS, superiority, and name calling and not one substantial fact. I WILL NOT SUPPORT A LAW BASED ON THE PERSONAL PREFERENCE OF A SINGLE GROUP!! PERIOD!! If said law was just and benefitial to the recovery of steelhead I would support it whole heartedly.

Where's Bob? You started this thread and I'd really like to hear what you've based your proposed law on. Feel free to PM if you prefer.

JD, you've still not addressed Bob's point with anything but calling him out for not using a boat. Then you go off on some spey tweed crap. Take a deep breath, relax and ponder the idea of guiding your way but rather than using your boat to fish from, use it to access fishing places that can't easily be hiked into by your clients. Some of us who pontoon rivers (not a fancy guide with a drift boat, just a dude with a bunch of contained air) use our boats not to fish from, but to access fishable runs. Would not a boat fishing guide who learns the best mapping routes of rivers to maximize out of boat or even anchored stationary fishing time and minimize non-fishing floating time be a guide that one would want to book? Think outside the box a bit. Of all the guides at the Evening Hatch, who right now could adopt this fish only when stationary process and be the most successful? Would your clients care that for the next seven minutes you'd be forward rowing to speed them to the next hole or run that you are certain would be holding fish. Is this concept so impossible for you to examine and find a single shred of benefit for the fisheries? Since you a new guide don't you think that the declines in fish populations is enough concern that you might not get to do that guide thing as long as you might like? Be creative man, I'm sure you've got it in you.

Decker, are you actually capable of catching a steelhead by any other means than nymphing beads or yarnies from a boat? :clown:

To apocolypse's point about the Deschutes, our rivers have become a total gong show. It's hard to watch guide boats running two nymphers with pegged beads through the same slot 10 times in a row. Don't get me wrong, fellas, you have a right to earn a living but let me just be blunt and tell you you are starting to ruin the experience for those of us who harbor this admittedly quaint notion that there's more to steelhead fishing than "slayin' 'em dude". I suppose it's hard for some in the guiding community to get repeat business if their clients actually have to possess some skill to catch fish. And all you non-guided people who have started following their lead, save your souls before it's too late! Get down on your knees, repent and go back to honest methods. :beer1: Saw a guy pulling plugs from a pontoon boat on the Methow this year. What's next? Sheesh, doesn't anyone actually want to work for their fish anymore?

So, yes, I would support a statewide ban on fishing for steelhead from a boat, particularly if it was aimed at so-called "fly fishers". I suppose there might be some conservation benefit in addition to enhancing my fishing experience so I'd be all in favor. :thumb:

By the way, I own a couple different types of watercraft and have hired (and have the means to hire) guides, so no need to chalk this rant up to envy.

what has happened to the west end rivers??? simple! bank to bank net sets which non selectively kill everything.

WDFW has and will do nothing to upset the co managers, that is the political reality which drives wildlife decisions. the meager science of fisheries management has zero to do with the decisions we all get to live with. WDFW is a politicial agency, not a science based agency. you must first digest that fact before you can make much sense of what they throw at all of us.

unfortunately, the state is not the one charged with enforcement of the ESA, enter NOAA and the NMFS. could we get the nets out??? you bet, but it would take legal action to force NOAA to then force the state to get the nets out of the water.

the indians had used very effective and efficient techniques for harvesting the village needs. the white man wanted those same fish so baned fish weirs, traps and wheels. once boldt was in place, the indians saw the green in the dead fish and went after them with the same greedy eyes as the white man. (end of short history lesson)

could the indians still harvest their 50% while releasing, unharmed, all wild fish? yes, just get the nets out, allow weirs and support the non-indian troll fleet. simple solution which will cost big bucks to force into place, but doable.

now back on topic................

i fished from a drift boat for years on the oregon coastal rivers. i must say that trying to wade fish on a majority of them would have been next to impossible. but what we did do was anchor up and cast to likely fish lies. so in this case, the boat was still a transport mechanism and since we could not get out on the bank, we used it as a fishing platform. the problem with this strategy is we could access virtually every likely fish lie down an entire river run thereby providing zero refuge for fish from fishing pressure, not a bad thing if you are trying to rid the river of raceway fish.

the deschutes in oregon is a different story. getting out of the boat is the law and the river system encourages you to walk, wade and fish. there are, however, large stretches of that river that you really can't reach by casting while wading. once you have done the entire river from warm springs down to the columbia multiple times, you will catch on to what i am talking about. now this is a good thing from the fishes perspective as natural refuges occur which you and i can't disturb.

the interesting thing about this thread, at least to me, is here we are on a fly fishing web site. the notion any number of you have is that fly fisher people are naturally conservation oriented why the conventional tackle folks are meat seekers. and yet the predominant theme that continues to come up is 'not on my river' or some varient. so much for the notion that fly fisher people are conservationists!

and, of course, that is exactly why the commerical fishing industry continues to win on all decisions. there is zero unity here to the extent that a simple petition regarding steelhead is electronically signed by an insignificant number of BB readers. i am now theorizing that turning to the conventional tackle folks may provide a means to make progress in saving anadramous fishes. at least these folks recognize the importance of taking in their lives and may just get worked up enough to protect that taking to actually do something to save wild fishes...........we shall see.........in the mean time, you conservationists might want to start thinking more globally.